Decorative plaster: preparation and application with your own hands

Currently, decorative plaster is usually understood as several different types of this finishing material. Experts assure that this is a marketing move of manufacturers. The composition of such a plaster is almost the same. You should study this aspect more carefully in order to understand the types and methods of using this tool.

Decorative plaster is the main competitor to wallpaper in terms of wall covering. It is worth knowing that this is not the material that is used to level the walls. This type of building material has its own characteristics. It is already in itself both an equalizer and a final coverage.

It can be crushed stone chips or wood fibers. Often, manufacturers began to add to the colored base, so the coating does not need additional painting.

This type of finishing material has a number of undeniable advantages. For example, such a plaster can be the base and at the same time the finish. It perfectly hides the unevenness of the wall and, due to the high percentage of plasticity, can fill any cracks and crevices.

Decorative plaster has no special application restrictions. It goes well with stone, brick, concrete and plasterboard walls. The only feature is that it must be firmly attached to the wall. But this requirement applies to all types of finishing materials.

Decorative plaster does not absorb odors at all and is perfect for decorating a kitchen space. This is one of its features and an undeniable advantage over other finishing materials. It has excellent sound insulation properties.

Another feature of decorative plaster is its unique appearance. The final version will look unique depending on the application technique and the tools used. If there are small defects on the wall, preliminary preparation can be omitted. Experts recommend using only a small primer on the surface.

The most common use of decorative plaster is indoor. It allows air to pass through and prevents the formation of fungi and other harmful microorganisms. Due to this specifics of the finishing material, the repair will serve its owners much longer.

Due to the properties of the material in the process of wall decoration, you can create unusual patterns and designs. Some experts recommend making multi-colored drawings from decorative plaster. This will make the walls look original and stylish.

Basically, the plaster contains natural ingredients. They are environmentally friendly and safe for people, children and pets. For some, this is the main criterion when choosing a finishing material. Such a coating can serve for many years. It can withstand minor mechanical damage, which can often happen in the kitchen and in the nursery.

When professionals work, everything seems simple and easy. When applying decorative plaster, there are a number of things to keep in mind.

When choosing decorative plaster, you need to study the entire range of this product presented in the hardware store. Consultation of the seller will not be superfluous. It is best to find a large sample with plaster applied to it. It is imperative to buy material with a margin. This will save you from additional expenses and hassle. It is not very pleasant if the plaster runs out in the midst of renovation work.

It is important to choose the right tools for a specific type of plaster and achieve the desired effect. The minimum is two spatulas. It is necessary that one of them be wide and the other narrow. To make more textured patterns, you will have to buy a special roller and a smoothing trowel with round ends. If the owners want to paint the walls, then you need to purchase additional brushes or rollers to apply it.

In the absence of serious defects, you can forget about leveling the walls. Decorative plaster has an amazing property - it itself will hide all the flaws. But if the flaws on the walls are obvious, then you should first go over the entire surface with putty. This will significantly save the family budget. Experts believe that the finer the embossed pattern, the better the alignment of the walls should be.

Before using decorative plaster, the entire surface of the walls is carefully primed. For a novice craftsman, it is better to start work from subtle areas. This will help to gain a little experience, and the resulting defects will be hidden from view. Many builders recommend practicing on a drywall sheet first.

After applying the plaster, you can make a certain relief or pattern on it. A well-applied material is moisture resistant. These walls can be washed. It is important not to use aggressive chemicals. It is better to use soft sponges and rags. Metal brushes and scrapers are not allowed when cleaning decorative plaster.

Some builders additionally coat this plaster with a layer of wax. But this method will protect more from moisture than from various damages. If there is a need to change the interior, the plaster can simply be painted over with a different color.

There are several types of decorative plaster in the construction industry. Very often it is subdivided according to the type of filler or binder. It is better to check with builders or consultants in specialized stores about its quality and features.

If we consider this material by the type of filler, then it will differ in appearance, and not in composition.

Let's consider some types and effects of decorative plaster:

• Textured or embossed plaster creates a rather noticeable pattern on the wall. It will help make any imperfections on the wall invisible. Such plaster is very inexpensive and is very popular in our country. It is quite simple to apply, which is an undeniable advantage for beginners.

It can be divided into several textures that have interesting names. "Bark beetle" resembles furrows in an old tree. And when using colored paint, this effect is only enhanced. Lamb creates a grainy surface that appears very soft and curly from a distance. "Fur coat" is a bit similar to the second option, but visually more fleecy.

• Structural view is the most unpredictable in the final finish. Even an experienced craftsman cannot predict the final appearance of this decorative plaster.

• Venetian plaster has a flat surface. To apply it to the wall, the master must have sufficient experience. Quite a lot of time is spent on its application. But in the end, the owners get the perfect wall, a bit like a stone.In bright light, the effect of a marble surface and interior lighting is created.

• Other options decorative plasters have diverse characteristics. At a hardware store, you can buy decorative plaster with a wood effect. The material that imitates silk is becoming popular. It is very popular to decorate utility pantries and warehouses with gypsum plaster. Colored plaster can also belong to this group of materials.

This tool is considered by many experts to be one of the most versatile types of finishing material. It can be used on any surface. The result is a very interesting and intricate relief of the walls and ceiling.

The widespread use of plaster is due to its good vapor permeability, durability and resistance to various natural influences.

When using this material in a children's room, it is worth choosing the composition carefully. Decorative plaster should not contain synthetic resin. When applying material to walls, do not make sharp corners. It is important to think about the safety of your child.

In the bathroom and toilet, it is worth using a cement-based material.

For the kitchen area, it is worth using glass and plastic aprons. This is especially true for the cooking and dishwashing areas. For those looking to use decorative plaster in the kitchen, experts recommend covering the walls with an additional coat of paint or clear varnish. Such additional protective equipment will help protect walls from grease and soot, which are simply inevitable in the kitchen.

There is a special type of material on sale that is intended for outdoor use. This type of plaster is absolutely not suitable for using it at home. This is due to the constituent substances. They give the plaster additional resistance and strength to the effects of snow, rain and sun.

Other mixtures are suitable for indoor use only. Such decorative plaster is environmentally friendly and contains natural ingredients. This material cannot be used for finishing the facades of buildings. Due to the natural composition and the absence of aggressive components, the material will not withstand the effects of natural disasters.

In specialized stores, you can also find universal plaster. It is permissible to use it in residential apartments. It has also proven itself well when used on building facades. The composition of such decorative plaster contains substances that are safe for people. The composition also includes special components that extend the life of the material on the facades. This type of decorative plaster is the most expensive.

Many builders are sure that such plaster looks great in rooms with a large area. With the help of decorative plaster, all walls or its small fragments are finished. Designers are sure that some types of material are able to visually increase the area of ​​the room.

Currently, the material can be applied to wood, drywall or brick. As a base, you can use a concrete or already plastered wall. A plastic surface is not the best option for applying decorative plaster. It is a fairly tough material, so it is important that it is applied correctly.

It can also be used in the hallway. She will be able to endure minor mechanical damage that can happen in everyday life.

Currently, this type of finishing material does not lose its popularity. Hardware stores present a huge assortment of this material.It has a different composition, service life and finish surface. All types of decorative plaster are united only by a rather high cost.

If you want to have an original interior, but with limited financial resources or a well-defined estimate for repair work, you can try to make decorative plaster yourself.

It can include sand, gypsum or cement. The fillers can be crumbs of natural stones. It is desirable to add components to the resulting composition to increase the viscosity of the material, as well as antiseptic and moisture resistant additives.

The finishing option will depend on the type, quality and amount of filler. The most widely used version of decorative plaster contains grains up to five millimeters in size. It is important to know that in decorative plaster, the filler should not exceed 70% of the total amount of the solution.

There are different ways to prepare decorative plaster. Let's consider the most simple and popular of them.

Very often, gypsum plaster is used for repairs. This type of decorative plaster dries instantly, is easy to apply and smoothes well. It is very simple to do it. You need to purchase gypsum flour and make limestone dough. These components must be mixed together in a ratio of one to three. Then a small amount of water is added. Pour in water gradually, stirring the solution evenly.

As a result, it should resemble thick sour cream in its consistency. At the very end, if desired, color is added. In order for the solution to be plastic, all proportions must be strictly observed.

The ratio of the components should be one to three. After kneading, the resulting consistency is covered with a lid and removed to a dark place for about a day.

Popular methods of making plaster at home and with the addition of silicate-based components. The preparation of the bulk is carried out in the same way as in the first case. Another element is liquid glass. It is poured into the already obtained solution, and then a little water is added. The amount of silicate in such a mixture should not exceed 5%.

A more budgetary option for decorative plaster will be a mixture of sand and cement. To prepare such a composition, you will need cement, sand and slaked lime. The proportions of this composition are approximately one to two. After mixing the main components, silicate is added to the mass. Its share should not exceed 5% of the total mass. At the very end, water is added to the mixture. Stone crumb should not exceed 70%.

These are fairly simple methods for making the material. It is important to maintain the correct proportions and consistency. Before starting work, you can watch a master class by an experienced builder.

To purchase decorative plaster that does not require preliminary preparation, you should turn to ready-made mixtures. In this case, you should pay attention to textured plaster. Its surface is almost flat. The desired pattern is obtained with spatulas, brushes and rollers. In addition, an experienced craftsman has more opportunities when working with such material. Structural plaster is much easier and faster to apply. It is ideal for the inexperienced craftsman.

For rooms with high humidity, you should pay attention to cement plaster. The builders add about ten kilograms of tile glue to the bag of cement. 500 grams of plasticizer is added to the resulting mixture. Then water is evenly poured in and everything is thoroughly mixed.

The most exquisite and amazing is the Venetian plaster. It belongs to the textured varieties. Due to its popularity and variety of effects, it is distinguished into a special group.

Dust from marble is quite expensive.To reduce the cost of manufacturing such a coating, granite and malachite chips are usually added to it. After applying the material to the wall, it needs to be trowelled. This means that the plaster must have a very fine stone grind in its composition.

The next component is slaked lime. She acts as a component for the bundle of all funds. Usually, in ready-made building mixtures, instead of slaked lime, acrylic resins are present in the composition. You will also need special dyes. Previously, natural plant sap was used. Currently, they have been replaced by synthetic components.

It is possible to use running water in the work. It is important to monitor her temperature. It should not be lower than ten degrees. In the standard recipe for the preparation of Venetian plaster, all of the above components are present. Stone dust and slaked lime are thoroughly mixed until they form a homogeneous mass of rather thick consistency.

Then, running water is added to the resulting composition and everything is mixed again. Dye, antiseptic and metallizing particles are added at the same time. Due to the peculiarities of applying this type of decorative plaster, the finest fillers are needed.

Experienced builders suggest considering two more options for preparing this type of material. The first is quite simple - the material is mixed with white marble flour. The proportions are one to ten. Then water and colored paint are added to the resulting composition.

The second option is a little more difficult to prepare. For 7 kilograms of marble sand, about 1.5 kilograms of flour of a similar composition is added. Then white Portland cement is added to the composition in the amount of 700 grams, then about a kilogram of lime dough.

A novice master needs strict adherence to all proportions. It is better to use paper to record all the components.

Before starting finishing work using decorative plaster, it is important to make a competent calculation of the material. As a rule, it is customary to consider the consumption of the mixture per one square meter.

Decorative plaster perfectly imitates stones, wood or leather. Despite its cost, it is quite budgetary in terms of consumption. Most often, the consumption per square meter of a wall or ceiling is from one kilogram to one and a half.

Plaster, reminiscent of wood in texture, has the lowest consumption. The total layer thickness should not exceed one centimeter.

Structural plaster is made from a mixture of acrylic, cement or gypsum. This mixture is sold in packs of 25 kilograms. To decorate a wall with an area of ​​ten square meters, one or two bags are needed.

A mixture based on acrylic dispersions is homogeneous in consistency with the presence of fine grains in it. The size of these grains does not exceed two millimeters. Ready-made plaster has a rather tangible consumption. In the presence of a fraction of one millimeter, the consumption is two and a half kilograms per square meter of the wall or ceiling.

This plaster is usually sold in plastic packaging of 15 kilograms. For a 10 meter wall, you need about two plastic bags. This amount of material will be needed to apply one layer of decorative plaster.

Structural material, which includes marble chips or a mixture of marble and granite chips, is in great demand. The layer of material can be from one to three millimeters. It depends on the required texture depth. To apply material to a wall of 10 square meters, you will need one pack of material with a volume of 25 kilograms.

If we consider a structural material, then it is most often used when decorating a fireplace. A solution of this plaster is sold in plastic packaging of 15 kilograms. To apply plaster to a wall of ten square meters, you need to buy two packs of material.

We should also mention the decorative plaster "Bark beetle". The consumption of this tool is from 2.5 to 4 kilograms per square meter. This variation is due to the different grain sizes in the structure of the product and the thickness of the layer.

Still, before buying, you should consult with the seller in the hardware store. The specialist will accurately determine the possible consumption of this type of decorative plaster. It will not be superfluous to familiarize yourself with the information on the material on the package.

Venetian plaster allows you to create an imitation of marble in all its splendor on the wall. In terms of consumption, it is the most budgetary. The savings are due to the perfectly leveled surface. Considering the cost of the work and the price of the material itself, Venetian plaster is the most expensive.

For plastering work, you will need a set of tools. It should be sandpaper or a special machine, two types of spatulas, brushes, polyethylene film, putty and primers.

At the beginning of work, the surface is cleaned and traces of corrosion, old paint or wallpaper are removed. The entire surface is sanded with sandpaper. Residual dust can be removed with a vacuum cleaner or brush. Cracks or potholes may appear on the wall. They should be sealed with putty and wait until it dries completely.

After that, it is worth treating the surface with a primer. It should be applied twice at 3-4 hour intervals. This stage of work is mandatory. The primer will improve the adhesion of the plaster to the wall.

In the process of drying the primer material, the entire working area should be covered with a polyethylene film. It is advisable to cover furniture and all mirror surfaces. For reliability, the film is fixed with construction tape. Then you should start preparing decorative plaster.

A spatula with a wide base is used to apply the structural material. The plaster is applied to the wall and then stretched with a wide trowel. The first layer can be of different thickness, the main thing is that it is even. You can continue to work only after 5-12 hours. During this time, the plaster must adhere thoroughly to the wall and the primer.

After that, the entire surface of the wall is processed with a plastic trowel. You can move in a circle or chaotically. Due to the hard granules in the decorative plaster, grooves are formed on the surface. After the material is dry, they will create the effect of natural and natural materials.

After that, you need to leave the walls to dry for at least another day. Then a special primer is applied and rollers and brushes are used. With their help, the specialist applies the first layer of paint, and then the second. The last coat of paint should be a tone or two lighter than the first. The last step is to apply a layer of wax.

For independent work, it is best to apply decorative plaster with a wide trowel. It dries for a long time, so you can apply it to all walls in one go. For a pattern to form on the surface, the thickness of the entire plaster must be three millimeters. In this case, it is important to walk the product over all walls or ceiling.

Without letting the material freeze, you can proceed to the next stage of work. This is where brushes, stencils, stamps, rollers and a trowel come in handy. Due to uneven patterns, the plaster will acquire a certain texture. The resulting solution must not be pushed deeper than one and a half millimeters.

One day after the end of the work, the entire surface is to be primed. Then the walls are treated with wax.It will be possible to touch and arrange furniture in this room two days after the end of all construction work.

Venetian plaster is more capricious and difficult to work with. In the case of self-preparation of the solution, it is worth using a spatula with a wide base. The surface is leveled with a trowel.

Do not press hard on the tool. All movements should be chaotic. The second and third layers of Venetian plaster should also be applied. The interval between coats is eight to ten hours.

Then the Venetian plastering trowel is firmly pressed to the surface and traversed along the entire wall. This should be done until a metallic sheen is obtained. At the very end, the wall should be waxed and sanded gently.

It is quite possible to prepare decorative plaster yourself. It will take a little more effort and time, but will significantly save the family budget.

You should always buy decorative plaster with a margin of at least 10%. It will be needed if the material dries out or falls to the floor during application.

The issue of saving is always very relevant. This is especially true of estimates for repair work. Experienced craftsmen have some rules and secrets that can reduce material consumption by one square meter.

For rough work, they suggest using the most budgetary cement-based mixtures. At the beginning of work, you need to try to align the walls to the maximum. The differences should not exceed five millimeters. In the case of too curved walls, it is worth using drywall. This budget option will help you give your walls a flat surface faster and more economically.

You cannot save on primer material. It is best to use the products recommended by the decorative plaster manufacturer. The most important thing is to plan everything correctly before starting the repair. A correctly calculated quantity and a choice of good consumables will help save money and save you from additional purchases.

When using Venetian plaster, you should watch video tutorials or sign up for special courses. Don't forget about rough samples. They are best done a few days before the start of the main work. Drywall is perfect for this. Decorative plaster is a very expensive material, so you should carefully prepare for its application.

A novice master should apply decorative plaster to small areas of the walls. These can be arches or small drywall-based structures. Small defects will not be so noticeable on them. But a large canvas of the wall will not give an opportunity to hide the first experience of a novice master.

An interesting design option for the corridor and part of the living room will be brick or brickwork. It will look more elegant if you make an imitation of brickwork using decorative plaster. Imitation saves space significantly. Construction work will take much less time than using real bricks.

There are two ways to create imitation of brickwork. In the first case, the wall is drawn by hand, and in the second, special metal stencils are used. Decorative plaster is poured into them.

When working independently, a novice craftsman should use a narrow metal spatula. This tool will help smooth out the edges of the bricks and add some texture.

Whichever method and type of decorative plaster would not be chosen, it is important to be extremely careful with the matter, to study in advance all the features of the application and preparation of decorative plaster. Then an excellent result will not be long in coming.

See the next video for a master class on applying decorative plaster "Velvet relief".